Kissimmee Sewage Plan May Face New Delay

June 28, 1985|By Donna O'Neal of The Sentinel Staff

KISSIMMEE — In yet another bureaucratic twist to the search for a wastewater disposal site, city officials learned this week that one area under consideration could require an additional state permit that may delay approval of the city's sewage facilities plan for months.

That delay, if the city chooses the Buckles Bend/Cane Island site, almost certainly means Kissimmee won't meet an Aug. 21 deadline for a $3 million state grant to help pay for the project, Florida Department of Environmental Regulation officials say.

''The money is running out and so is the time,'' said Richard Smith, bureau chief with the DER's Wastewater Management and Grants department in Tallahassee. ''Should Kissimmee not be ready to go, the chances are we'll recommend that the money be given to someone else.''

But Kissimmee Water and Sewer Director Brian Wheeler said the city is ''fine-tuning our comparative analysis for our alternative sites right now. Whatever site we go with, I don't think we'll be jeopardizing the grant.''

The problem, state regulators say, is the city can't decide on a definite disposal site and move forward with its $18.6 million plan to upgrade its wastewater treatment system.

''They just can't keep changing disposal sites. They need to proceed down a definite path,'' said Lee Miller, director of permits in the DER's Orlando office. ''If they miss it the grant deadline, it's their own fault.''

''All we do is spin our wheels and waste time,'' Commissioner Ken Maher said. ''I can't deal with a guy who tells me to spend my money and has a carrot out there, but has no intention of giving me that carrot.''

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. Kissimmee is under orders to stop dumping treated sewage into Lake Tohopekaliga by July 1987. A new plant and disposal site must be operating by then.

Before then, a final facilities plan -- a blueprint of where and how the city plans to discharge its wastewater -- must be ready for the DER to present to the Environmental Regulatory Commission at its Aug. 21 public hearing. The plan must be approved before the grant is awarded.

In the latest hitch, Wheeler met Tuesday with Miller and Alex Alexander, DER Orlando district manager, to discuss alternatives to the Imperial site, a 550-acre tract located near Interstate 4 along the Polk County line.

The city selected the Imperial site in its facilities plan. Since that plan was presented, the DER has tacked on more requirements because of sinkholes at Imperial through which regulators say wastewater could seep into Florida's underground water.

The cost of the additional requirements -- up to $500,000 -- and the distance of the site from Kissimmee spurred the city to look at other, closer disposal sites. About four more are being considered.

At the meeting, Wheeler and DER officials discussed one of those, the Buckles Bend/Cane Island area located north of Intercession City on U.S. Highway 17-92. That land is surrounded by a wetlands area, which requires a special exemption permit for wastewater disposal.

Beverly Berkitt, environmental specialist with the DER's permitting department in Tallahassee, said it could take Kissimmee six to nine months to get the permit -- meaning it would miss the grant deadline.

But Wheeler said he thinks the city could alter its disposal method to exclude the wetlands. ''If the wetlands aren't part of the treatment system, there's no requirement for a wetlands exemption permit.''

Alexander said Wheeler proposed creating an artificial wetlands in the Buckles Bend/Cane Island area with a buffer of high land to protect the surrounding natural wetlands from the effluent.

Berkitt questions whether that plan would protect the natural swamp. ''I'm not sure it's feasible,'' she said. ''But they city officials feel that it is.''

Alexander said he told Wheeler that creating an artificial wetlands at the swamp site has potential. ''In the concept, we don't have any problems, but they need to do more research.''

However, more research means more delays, Alexander said. ''When you change sites, you're delaying. But the city wants to save some money.''

Will trying to save money jeopardize the grant? ''That's the problem,'' Alexander said. ''Money's just not available when they want.''

Wheeler said he and the city's consultant for the project, Post, Buckley, Schuh and Jernigan, are weighing such factors. They plan to present a final recommendation for a site to the city commission on Monday. That could even include the Imperial area again.

Commissioners also plan to meet with DER officials Monday afternoon to discuss the city's problems with getting the grant.